dmims Page 28
Page 28
In the end, the alchemical thugs collapsed. The smog was already skimming the ground and rushing towards their troops. This toxic fog, which had been fused, fermented, and nurtured over decades by countless alchemical wastes, strong pollutants, and flawed Hextech crystals, possessed a destructive power that even Farn took notice of.
They burrowed into the crevices of the alchemical prosthetics, seeping into the human body through the eye sockets, between the teeth, and through the skin. Everyone who came into contact with them reacted differently. Some were deformed into a mass of flesh and blood, some were corrupted into a skeleton, and some even knelt down and scratched their throats, spewing out large amounts of green mycelium stimulated by the wild life energy from between their fingers.
Nothing that happened in Zaun escaped Janna's notice. The omnipresent stormbirds made Fahn aware of the terrifying destructive power of the haze early on. But even so, when he saw it with his own eyes, even Fahn had to marvel at the terrible poison that Zaun had given birth to after its destructive development.
Meanwhile, many thoughts raced through Fahn's mind—during the Ionian War, Riven's fate took a turn when she transported a batch of alchemical weapons from Zaun. Ultimately, due to the attack, the poison went out of control, wiping out life from the battlefield and leaving it barren.
Previously, Faen had wondered what kind of alchemical weapon could cause irreversible and permanent damage to Ionia, a land teeming with hidden talents and teeming with life.
Now it seems... I underestimated Zaun's technology and ruthlessness.
They really know how to raise poisonous insects.
While pondering, Farn's actions did not falter for a moment. Just as people were panicking and staring at the approaching haze, unsure of where to hide, a wisp of wind sliced through the iron filings and dust that floated in the air along with the falling haze.
"After the storm, may your repentance outweigh the rubble."
Despite saying that, to be honest, Fain didn't think those guys would feel any remorse whatsoever—they'd be more likely to regret it.
As the Storm Seal on the back of Fahn's hand lit up, his eyes were also tinged with a bluish-green light. Within his spiritual realm, sensing Fahn's will, Janna didn't hesitate. The white veil covering her fluttered wildly, and with the dissipating magic of Fahn, a semi-transparent phantom appeared behind him. Arms crossed, its emotionless eyes filled with a sense of balance, it seemed like Fahn's tool or weapon.
The instant Janna appeared, Fain's body also transformed into a white rainbow. The previously dull underworld of Zaun roared violently in that instant, and tornadoes exploded from the corners of Zaun's streets without warning, tearing apart the road surface paved with scraps and rocks with bluish-white vortexes.
That wasn't the wind—everyone realized it in that instant. It wasn't madness, but a storm of thousands of rapidly spinning blades. Every wisp of wind within it represented the Zaunites' yearning for the future, their most tangible resentment, and their roar against the Alchemist Baron.
The power of the spiritual realm was further connected under Osiris's concept, forming tangible energy in the spiritual realm and becoming part of the storm in the material realm.
Surrounded by a storm, Farn's figure cut into the heart of the haze with the howling wind. Visible, highly toxic particles stagnated in the surging torrent, like poisonous insects nailed to amber. The energy of the spiritual realm washed away the magical waste within in a brutal way, turning it into useless dust.
Even so, the smog before them was too overwhelming. In just a few breaths, with the ever-increasing pressure, Farn realized that this could not last.
Without the slightest hesitation, Fan raised his arm once more. As the Seven Hands of Osiris lit up, all the pressure Fan felt was instantly transformed into an uncontrollable surge of joy from the bottom of his heart.
"Let the raging tides reverse, adding a stroke to our masterpiece!"
With a low growl, a twisted smile appeared on Fane's face. In her ecstasy, sensing the joy within Fane under the contract's effect, Janna's eyes lit up with excitement. A moment later—Rumble!!
As the primordial demonic nature began to take effect, the already raging storm suddenly expanded several times its original size, and the solid steel emitted a piercing wail. Hovering in the eye of the storm, Fane's hair flowed with a dazzling blue-green. With a swing of his arm like a sword, surging water condensed from the atmosphere and was drawn from the ground. It poured in from all directions, and the poisonous fog covering the entire street began to collapse, condensing into a dark vortex.
Without the slightest pause, Farn harnessed the gale to condense the haze and manipulated the water flow to accelerate its formation. Reaching the water mass enveloped in poisonous mist, he looked at the terrified alchemist baron's position and unleashed a violent volley.
Propelled by the storm and the current, the swirling sphere of poisonous water shot through the air in an instant, leaving a trail of afterimages. As it landed on the battlefield, the continuous cracking sounds of bones breaking sent chills down the spine. Unaffected by wind resistance thanks to Janna's blessing, the highly toxic particles, swirling within the sphere at supersonic speeds, easily pierced through armor.
Not to mention the soldiers charging ahead, even the black robes of the spellcasters standing at the rear were torn into blood-soaked strips in an instant.
The tower began to collapse, not destroyed, but its foundation was eroded by the bursting water, then uprooted by the howling winds. Debris and venom slammed into the fleeing crowd. Fane's pupils shone like thunderbolts. He pressed his hands down, and a five-meter-high wave of poisonous energy suddenly surged from the battlefield—unabated. Using the Storm Seal of Hillkor to pinpoint his location, Fane rode the howling wave towards the top of Zaun!
52. Rebate
Due to unique historical reasons, the terrain of Zaun is located between a rift valley and a deep well.
The vertical drop of more than 1,000 meters makes it very difficult for people in Zuan to travel up and down, and most of the time they have to take pressure lifts, which are by no means cheap.
In Fane and his group's initial plan, the Winds of Change were intended to develop slowly, first occupying the lower levels, and then, when the alchemist barons could no longer suppress their fear of the Winds of Change, Hilk would launch the Haze Offensive, thus laying a solid foundation for the Winds of Change to eventually occupy the entire territory of Zaun, nailing every single alchemist baron to the pillar of shame to warn future generations of Zaun.
To everyone's surprise, the Alchemist Baron was even more decisive than Fain had anticipated. Before the winds of change had even swept through the lower classes, they decided to release the smog. Since that was the case, Fain didn't intend to waste any more time—because Fain could sense that the moment the smog was released, not only the lower classes of Zaun, but also the middle and upper classes, were filled with a great deal of discontent.
These sentiments largely stemmed from the elders of Zaun, perhaps servants of Hilk, Vander, or other alchemical barons. Regardless, they were all Zaun veterans, and they understood perfectly what the Haze represented to Zaun. As the beginning of Zaun's decades of suffering, anyone who wielded the Haze was bound to suffer the backlash of its very nature.
It was at this moment that Janna's power was perfectly displayed. The desire for hope was a shared power of both Osiris and Janna, but the former's dominance far surpassed the latter's. However, discontent and anger were not Osiris's powers, but they happened to fall within the scope of Janna's powers.
Having fulfilled the contract, and guided by Janna, in the spiritual realm, these emotions were transformed into the hope and joy that Faen needed. Intangible energy manifested in the material realm, and within the swirling poison, energy began to grow continuously.
Storms, currents, and turbidities—three distinct forces, under Fane's control, perfectly embody the harmony cherished by the Ionians.
Then, three distinct energies, as if possessing a life of their own, began to spiral upwards along the inner wall of Zaun. The troops, who had been casually stationed in the middle of Zaun, quickly realized that something was wrong.
The ground is shaking.
In a daze, an alchemical thug stood on the bridge, pointing downwards, and said with disbelief in his eyes, "What is that?!"
Amidst the mob's bewilderment, standing between the storm and the turbid current, wherever Farn passed, alchemical wastewater and acid boiled in the drains. Streams of water broke free from the pipes' constraints, roaring fiercely amidst the sharp noise of twisted steel, summoned by the Lord of Water—visible to the naked eye, the swamps of sewage were whipped into tornadoes a thousand meters high by the hurricane, mixing with massive amounts of waste liquid to become part of the raging torrent, like a physical apocalypse.
While the mob was still bewildered and terrified, the members of the Zaun Council at the top were gripped by intense shock and horror—they couldn't comprehend how such power could have been born from the hands of a mere mortal. Even so, they would not relinquish any power they held until the blade was at their throats.
In the next instant, before people could recover from their fear, the alchemical thugs noticed something was wrong—the luminous reagent tubes implanted in their bodies, which were supposed to be for high-intensity combat, suddenly started working without their active activation.
Countless bubbles rose from the test tube as the reagents were injected into the biochemical systems of these alchemical thugs at a visible rate. At first, they were gripped by fear and panic, but soon, as the potion took effect, intense and obsessive irrational emotions shattered their reason, leaving only their fighting instincts in the face of the enemy.
But just as these alchemical thugs collectively descended into chemical frenzy, before the alchemical chariots had even fully assembled on the bridge, what came into view was a gigantic liquid serpent, carrying steel and rock debris, rising against gravity.
"The tide recedes and returns—the revelry never ends!" The intense joy constantly agitated Farn's nerves. A flicker of unquenchable rationality flashed in his eyes, but Farn's face was filled with terrifying ecstasy.
The turbid waves surged, and the acid-corroded bridge piers were the first to collapse under the impact of the torrent. Gears and rivets were shattered into fragments in the rushing water. The high-speed water flow made it break through the seal, and the heavy steam armor was like being hit by a sandblasting machine the moment it touched it, instantly turning into a broken screen.
The large amount of alchemical waste liquid did not lose its power in the flowing water due to the magic. Even with just a slight touch, the mechanical arm of the modified soldier convulsed and broke in the out-of-control torrent of magic, powerless to resist. The nearly three-meter-tall artificial body was nailed into the rock dome of Zaun Street by the water flow, and the bloodstains were squeezed into a broken red mist by the crest of the wave.
As she watched Fain's figure ascend, Zeli, who had been in a daze, quickly heard Fain's command as the Storm Seal connected. A deep joy then appeared on Zeli's face.
"The winds of change have brought new messages! Today, let us reclaim Zaun!!"
Upon hearing Zeli's words, the workers, who had been hesitant about what to do next, paused for a moment before cheering excitedly. As Zeli transformed into a streak of lightning and chased after the turbid current upwards, the workers quickly followed, some taking vehicles, some using elevators, and others simply running behind her.
To be honest, given the terrain of Zaun, there probably aren't many people who could actually run all the way to the top. But that's the beauty of the power of the spiritual realm—if mobilized well enough, they can directly become part of Fain's power the moment they experience the corresponding emotions.
They stormed into the middle level, feeling a surge of ecstasy, exhilaration, and joy. A hint of undisguised killing intent flickered in Fain's eyes—under the effect of the Storm Seal, Fain could sense Hill's coordinates and directly pinpoint the auras of those around Hill.
Ha, Caitlin's here too? That's perfect... I was just worried about not having a messenger to communicate with Piltover.
Thinking this to himself, Farn also opened his arms wide—
"Roar, raging waves that tear the sky apart!"
Accompanied by Fan's roar,
The storm began to engulf the entire city. Waterspout after waterspout pierced through the waste pipes buried in the soil, swirling them with the rotting remains of synthetic beasts and alchemical gel. The water surged, the storm swept through, and in that instant, large quantities of alchemical compounds fused into a tar-like venom.
"Damn it! They're coming for us!!"
Instead of looking at the broadcast screen, everyone turned their attention to the window beside them and looked down.
Under everyone's gaze, Fain didn't even bother to pretend anymore. His eyes were fixed on the secret tower where they were, and his smiling face was filled with undisguised indifference and killing intent.
"Damn it! We've been exposed!!"
Looking into Farn's eyes, Lannar's gaze was filled with horror. He then turned and said, "Let's go now! To Piltover. I don't believe this guy would dare to come to Piltover to find us!"
Not only Lannar, but the other alchemical barons around him were also gripped by intense panic as they watched Fane rushing towards them at astonishing speed. In contrast, Hilko remained calm as he looked at his colleagues.
Almost immediately, Jinx kicked open the outer door, her body bearing some mottled battle marks, her face looking bored and listless as she walked in.
Hearing the door being kicked open, everyone turned to look behind them. While a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes upon seeing Jinx, they didn't show much other emotion. They simply turned to Hilko and said, "Don't just stand there! Hilko! Don't forget you're the leader of the Alchemist Barons! Do you really think those Winds of Change will let you off the hook? Don't forget, you personally ordered the release of the smog!!"
Hilko's face remained calm and indifferent. Without even saying a word, Jinx, standing nearby, coldly slammed the door shut with her foot and then locked it.
Noticing Jinx's actions, Lanaar and the others nearby widened their eyes in surprise: "What are you trying to do, Hielko?!"
"Who knows, but in any case, it will be better than it is now."
Hilko leaned back in his chair, his face calm and numb.
I've witnessed firsthand Fane's power and purpose, Janna's existence and origin, and the final pact between the two—although Hilcone doesn't understand things like the spiritual realm, that's just how wondrous it is.
As a Zaunite, when Hilko finally met Janna and felt the thoughts emanating from the Mark of Storms, he understood all the reasons why Fane had done what he did.
Regardless, Fane, who possessed power and conviction, was a better leader than the Alchemist Baron—even as a ruler, he would at least bring joy to Zaun.
After all, finding a group of people more evil than the Alchemist Baron is truly a tall order, even in a place as fertile as Runeterra.
Looking at Hilko, one of the tallest alchemical barons, clad in brass armor and with his head encased in a glass dome like a Celestial Dragon, coldly said, "Don't waste time here! Kill Hilko and leave! That guy named Fane is coming soon!"
53. The End of the Alchemist Baron
The alchemical baron who spoke was named Patroc, and his primary technology in Zaun was air purification. Don't underestimate air purification technology; while ordinary air purification is simple, in a place like Zaun filled with alchemical pollution, the difficulty is several times greater than in other areas. Furthermore, the handling of alchemical pollution and the classified release of pollutants also fall under Patroc's jurisdiction.
Of course, for ordinary Zaunites, Petrok's most infamous business was selling air—his massive air exchange stations were built across the upper, middle, and lower levels of Zaun. To ensure their own safety, Zaunite workers needed to set aside some money to buy air, even if it meant enduring hunger. Even if it meant sacrificing their own lives, they wanted to ensure their children weren't deformed by alchemical pollution in the air. Not to mention that other alchemical barons also needed clean air to maintain production efficiency.
To this end, Patroc specifically designed three levels of air quality—high, medium, and low—to meet the needs of different people. As an air tycoon, and to demonstrate his status, Patroc ensured he always breathed the purest circulating air.
"It's easy to say. If we get up there, we'll truly become Piltover's dogs, and we'll be overjoyed to receive even the slightest scrap of food." A woman with delicate features, smooth skin, and a somewhat alluring and cold demeanor said with a sneer, "Patlock, you don't really think the uptown folks would buy your air, do you?"
“At least it’s better than dying.” Patrock looked at Mrs. Marg.
Madam Margaery doesn't appear in the original League of Legends universe's Zaun setting, but rather in the Battle of the Twin Cities. She's the overlord of Zaun's prostitution and entertainment industry, and also deeply involved in human trafficking. She's arrested by Caitlyn in the opening sequence of Battle of the Twin Cities 2.
"Or do you think we should have an argument before leaving here?"
As he said this, Patroc also turned his gaze to Hilco, who was standing to the side.
Behind him was the gate, and Hilko's face was full of calm and indifference.
For Hilkor, if he could bring about a true rise for Zaun, he wouldn't care about dying now. The only reason he's still standing here is... he wants to see his brothers return. He wants to see Zaun rise again. Even if he were hanged amidst the scorn of the people, he could accept it with a smile.
But before these futures arrive...
Looking at everyone and sensing the message emanating from the Storm Seal, Hilko calmly said, "Give up, your time is up."
As they spoke, the door, which had just been damaged by Jinx, was kicked open with a loud crash. Looking towards the door, what came into view was a living, raging torrent.
The surging storm and the engulfed floodwaters relentlessly devoured the alchemical baron's guards outside. In no time, bodies were reduced to red mist in the torrent.
Seeing the torrent blocking the door, the alchemist barons retreated one after another, unconsciously leaning against the window behind them.
Looking behind, what came into view was no longer the lower level of Zu'an as before, but surging water—this place was now surrounded by a flood, with nowhere to retreat.
A moment later, the floodwaters blocking the gate seemed to receive a command and naturally parted to both sides. Accompanied by steady and powerful footsteps, a tall figure walked out from the newly renovated passage.
"Haha, is this the first time we've met? Let me introduce myself, my name is Faen."
With a relaxed smile on his face, Fan entered the conference room. Before the alchemist barons could say anything, Hilko naturally stood up and offered his seat to Fan.
But Fain didn't care and just waved his hand to indicate that he didn't care about such formalities.
Upon seeing Farn's arrival, the alchemical barons exchanged glances, and then Petrok stepped forward and said, "Sir, our interests are not fundamentally conflicting—"
Before Petrok could finish speaking, Farn shook his head, and then the water outside rushed in. Seeing this, the Alchemist Baron's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively went into battle mode. Numerous sophisticated alchemical weapons and Hextech weapons sprang from the mechanical bodies, but before they could launch an attack, the surging torrent engulfed him completely.
Instead of crushing them like they would the alchemical thugs, the surging torrent swept them up, trapping them in a clear vortex. Like insects trapped in still-fragrant amber, they struggled, mouths agape, exhaling bubbles. Initially unaffected by the air hood, Patrick, noticing his relaxation, frowned slightly.
The moment he frowned, the Patrock air mask cracked instantly under the surging water pressure, then shattered, and the turbid water rushed into his mouth and nose, revealing the ugly sight of suffocation and oxygen deprivation.
They washed away all the alchemical equipment and Hextech crystals from their bodies, and destroyed and discarded their brass alloy bodies as long as they were not related to the life support system. Then, Fane turned to Hilko and said, "Investigate other forces that are still resisting, and then have the cadres you have selected join Zaun's next stability maintenance work."
"And what about these people?" Hilko pointed to the alchemist barons standing to the side.
"Find out what they have done, then hang them to appease public anger."
Despite being swept away by the current, the alchemist barons still clearly heard Farn's words. Sensing the indifference of the Farn Sea and realizing their predicament, the alchemist barons began to struggle desperately in the water. However, with their struggles, the water pressure increased further. While occasional bubbles prevented them from suffocating, they also rendered them unable to utter any coherent sounds.
In contrast, Hilko seemed to have expected this, and immediately nodded and said, "I have been keeping records of the relevant information. Who should I give it to? You or Shuona?"
“Leave it to Shuona,” Fain said. “You can handle the stability maintenance work in Zaun yourselves. I have other things to take care of.”
As he said this, Fain turned his gaze to Jinx beside him, raised his chin, and said, "Would you like to meet your dear sister?"
Upon hearing this, Jinx, who had been looking gloomy and bored, paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Sisters? Ha, that's an interesting term... In what capacity has Vi returned to Zaun?"
"In my capacity as a Piltover Enforcer."
Fane shrugged, then turned and walked outside. Seeing this, Jinx's eyes flickered twice, then she silently followed Fane's retreating figure. Hilko didn't seem to care, after all, as her adoptive father, he already knew about Jinx's incredibly complicated feelings for Vander and Vi.
By comparison……
Looking back at his 'colleagues' imprisoned in the cubic water dungeon, sensing the pleading or threatening glints in their eyes, Hilko remained remarkably calm.
"Don't rush, my friend... we will all become sacrifices for the rebirth of Zaun."
As he spoke, Hilko took out a vial of Glimmer and was about to inject it into himself when he suddenly remembered something. He then threw the Glimmer potion into the trash can next to him and took out a vial of Happiness Factor from another pocket.
Injected into his right eye using the same method, feeling the joy welling up inside him, Hilko couldn't help but wiggle his shoulders a couple of times.
“The power of the happiness factor is indeed greater than that of the glimmer of light…” Muttering to himself, Hilko ordered the returning Sevika to keep an eye on his colleagues. Then, he sat on the terrace and watched as the winds of change gradually eroded Zaun, the land under his rule, and a satisfied smile gradually appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, Caitlin had arrived here long before Fain reached the top floor of Zaun, her face filled with solemnity.
The reason was simple: the situation here was simply too dire. Looking at the Alchemist Baron's thugs, their eyes filled with despair, completely devoid of any fighting spirit as they stood guard in the upper echelons of Zaun, Caitlin couldn't even comprehend what kind of enemy could drive them to such despair.
Admittedly, Caitlyn was quite surprised when Fain launched his massacre against the alchemist thugs at the Midtown Square concert, but if Caitlyn remembers correctly, the Piltover Council is now discussing strengthening Zaun's combat capabilities—which means increasing the scale of Hextech weapon smuggling.
But the problem is, how long has it been? It's only been less than three days since the concert massacre, how come NMTMD has already been wiped out??
Is this reasonable?
It's not fair to blame Caitlyn for thinking that way; the process has indeed been incredibly tense lately. The main reason Fane hasn't been able to decisively take over Zaun is that the Winds of Change's leadership structure isn't yet strong enough to smoothly take over the entirety of Zaun. However, after the pact with Janna and the confirmation of Hilko as the elite core selected by Winds of Change, Fane no longer has any worries about the resettlement tasks after reclaiming Zaun.